Chancellor George Blumenthal likes to point out that UC Santa Cruz has outgrown its image of the 1970s. Those who might think of it as a laid-back haven of organic obsessions, long breaks to the beaches and woods and a soft-focus grading system should know that it's on "an upward trajectory" and has become one of the more selective UC campuses.

Blumenthal cites the five alums who won Pulitzers and the dimensions of its pioneering telescopes in Hawaii among the evidence of its growing reputation for excellence.

Casual observers can be forgiven for wondering how its acquisition of the Grateful Dead archives - to be showcased in the library - fits into the school's stereotype-busting vision. It does, it really does, Blumenthal told our editorial board Thursday. Not to worry, he said, there won't be a conflict between the "Dead Central" exhibit and serious students trying to focus with their noses in their books. After all, UC Santa Cruz is on the cutting edge in another way: Its entire library collection is being scanned to be available online. "The library of the 21st century is not going to be musty books sitting on shelves," he explained.

The chancellor proudly noted that Santa Cruz's competition for the Dead archives included UC Berkeley and Stanford. "That's the advantage of being a little smaller and hungrier," he said with a smile.

It's quite a coup for a campus that welcomes an intensified spotlight.